5 Packers who need to improve the most to power Green Bay to a Super Bowl next year
Scores of Packers fans will spend their offseason fantasizing about who their favorite team can add via the draft, free agency or trade. But that ignores one of the team's biggest opportunities for growth before the 2025 campaign. Green Bay can benefit from internal improvement from some of the players already on GM Brian Gutekunst's roster.
None of that means the organization should not add talent via new players, but it would be foolish to think they won't get more out of some of their current stars next season. Green Bay fans should keep a close eye on these five returning players as guys who could make big leaps next year.
Packers improvement No. 1: Jaire Alexander
There's a chance Green Bay will part ways with their highest-rated cornerback before Week 1 arrives but the odds favor the Packers sticking with him. One obvious way Jaire Alexander can give his team a big boost in 2025 is finding a way to improve his availability. He only managed to record 361 snaps for coordinator Jeff Hafley's defense in 2024.
The good news is that Alexander was reasonably effective when he did play. Green Bay will give him a full offseason to try to get his body right before he's asked to play meaningful snaps in the regular season. It's also highly likely that the Packers will acquire some competition for him at the cornerback position via free agency or the draft.
The best case scenario for Green Bay is that Alexander finds a way to play the majority of their regular-season games before enjoying a healthy playoff run. Cutting bait on such a talent would be the wrong kind of gamble for a team with legitimate title hopes. The Packers need more from their high-profile corner next year if their defense is going to power them to a deep postseason run.
Packers improvement No. 2: Dontayvion Wicks
Dontayvion Wicks has given the franchise fine production for a fifth-round pick but he's struggled to justify his spot on the depth chart. It's time for the Packers to get serious about upgrading their options on the outside for Jordan Love. Wicks either needs to raise his game or get out of the way for someone who can become a high-level starter in 2025.
Wicks has intriguing physical tools but his below-average hands really hurt the Packers' aerial attack this season. Love notably didn't seem to lose trust in him, but that might have been an error given the lack of production between the pair.
Wicks will come into training camp with a chance to seize a starting position, but the Packers might prefer to acquire someone with more upside. He needs to show substantial improvement in 2025 to keep his career in Green Bay on track.
Packers improvement No. 3: Kingsley Enagbare
The need for Green Bay to find a star pass rusher is nothing new. Kingsley Enagbare is one of several edge rushers who tried and failed to lock down a starting spot on Hafley's defensive line in 2024.
He did manage to notch five sacks, but his PFF pass-rushing grade of 57.8 on the season shows just how much he struggled to make a consistent impact. Enagbare still has upside at the age of 24 but he'll need to make major strides in 2025 if he wants to stay in contention for a starting spot for a Super Bowl contender.
Lukas Van Ness could also have made the list in this spot since he's failed to live up to his hype as a first-round pick. In the end, the Packers would love to see one of their young, unproven pass-rushers step up to solidify their front-seven.
Packers improvement No. 4: Evan Williams
Evan Williams exceeded all reasonable expectations for a fourth-round pick in 2024. The talented rookie makes this list because he still has so much untapped potential that can help the Packers defense.
If Williams can take a moderate step forward in 2025 if will give Green Bay one of the best safety duos in the NFL. Xavier McKinney is already an All-Pro at his strong safety spot. If Williams can step up his coverage, the pairing could be unstoppable.
Packers improvement No. 5: MarShawn Lloyd
It may be overly critical to list Lloyd here since he barely played due to injury. Green Bay expected him to be a solid alternative to Josh Jacobs as a rookie but injuries prevented Lloyd from having any kind of impact.
If he fails to play meaningful snaps in 2025 his career with the Packers might be over before it ever begins. The team has to find a way to avoid wearing Jacobs down with too many carries during the regular season if they want him to be fresh for the postseason. Lloyd has the best chance of winning head coach Matt LaFleur's trust and carving out double-digit carries on a regular basis.
Lloyd does not need to turn into a superstar to give his team a significant boost. If he can turn into anything more than an average running back it should add a lot of versatility to Green Bay's ground game. Turning their backfield into a true partnership could be what powers the Packers to a Super Bowl ring in 2025.